As a running coach, one of the questions I'm asked most often is, “What should I do when training starts to feel too hard?”
This question often comes up during busy times of the year. As we're in the chaos of the summer holiday period, it's normal that your training doesn't feel quite as easy or enjoyable as it normally does. And there are lots of potential reasons why.
Whether you're stressed out, under recovered, have lost motivation or are struggling in the heat - read on for my advice to get through it.
Have you got too much going on?
Summer is wonderful, but routines change,
holidays are planned, children are off school and life often feels busier than usual
Stop. Reset. Take the pressure off.
This is probably the biggest piece of advice I give—not just during the summer, but after a
marathon too.
Sometimes you simply need to reset and stop becoming a slave to your watch.
If you still want to record your run, simply press start at the beginning and stop at the end.
I sometimes encourage runners to leave their watch at home for a few weeks. Run by feel, enjoy your
surroundings or use your heart rate as a guide instead of chasing a pace. If you have a medical reason to monitor your heart rate, continue to do so, but otherwise give yourself permission to simply run.
Are you recovering enough?
If you're in the middle of a structured training block and finding things hard, under-recovery could be the reason.
The quickest check is your morning resting heart rate: take it before you get up, and if it's sitting 5–7 beats above your normal baseline (or your watch flags a drop in HRV), your body is still catching up.
If the signs point that way, don't abandon your block—adapt it. Swap a hard session for an easy run, drop the pace, or take an extra rest day, then pick the plan back up once you've recovered.
But recovery isn't just about resting more—it's about actively giving your body what it needs to rebuild between sessions. The good news is that the things that make the biggest difference are largely in your control, and easy to check yourself against. Run through the basics below, and be honest about where you're falling short:
- Carbs: aim for roughly 5–7g per kg of bodyweight on regular training days, rising to 8–10g/kg during heavy or high-volume blocks—and get 1–1.2g/kg plus 20–40g of protein in within an hour of finishing to refuel properly.
- Sleep: target 7–9 hours; dropping below 7 meaningfully raises injury risk, so it's one of the highest-value things you can fix.
- Hydration: the simplest check is urine colour—pale straw is where you want to be, darker means you're behind.
- Legs: normal soreness should ease within 24–72 hours. If it lingers longer, or a pace that's usually easy suddenly feels hard, treat it as a signal to back off rather than push through. I love wearing my Enertor Recovery Slides after a run to relieve post-run soreness and help me recover for my next one.
Struggling with motivation?
When I'm struggling with motivation, I like to mix things up. One minute on, one minute off is one of my favourite sessions. I'll also ask one of my children to cycle alongside me, or distract myself by counting, planning my day or thinking about something completely unrelated to running.
You could also try more strength and conditioning. Running isn't just about running. Strength and conditioning is one of the best ways to become a stronger, more efficient runner. Stronger muscles produce more power, improve your running economy and help you maintain good form when you begin to tire. They can also reduce your risk
of injury and help you stay consistent. Even one or two short strength sessions each week can make a noticeable difference.
Finding training in the heat tough?
Wear light-coloured, breathable clothing, take extra water and don't be afraid to slow down.
During intervals, recover in the shade if possible. You don't always need to jog your recovery—sometimes standing still or walking allows your heart rate to come down and helps your body cool before the next effort. Respect the conditions and reduce the risk of overheating or heat illness.
Lastly, don't stress about hitting your exact prescribed paces. In the heat, your heart works harder at any given pace. Running slightly slower to hold the same effort isn't cheating the session, it's running it correctly. As a rough guide: ease off by 1–3% from around 15°C, 3–5% above 20°C, and more when it's 25°C+ or very humid (the stickier the air, the more you back off). On easy runs, skip the maths and just run by feel—keep it conversational and let the pace fall where it lands.
Be kind to yourself
Above all, remember that not every run has to feel amazing. Be kind to yourself, adapt when life gets busy, and remember that consistency is built over months—not by being perfect every single day.
Sometimes the best thing you can do isn't to train harder… it's to enjoy running again